Muslims read but don't understand the Quran, laments Mahathir

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad today lamented Malaysians' emphasis on reading the Quran as opposed to understanding it.

Speaking at the ‘Let’s Read the Quran’ campaign in Petaling Jaya today, Mahathir said he initially accepted the invitation to launch the campaign because he disagreed with the idea of reading the holy book.

“I will agree if it means understanding the Quran.

“The problem we have today is because people don't understand the Quran, the stress is on memorising,” he said, in pointing out the large number of schools which mainly focus on memorising the Quran.

Mahathir added that Islam is sometimes viewed under a bad light not due to the religion, but because Muslims have forsaken it.

“We prefer hadiths over the Quran, whereas the Quran is the word of Allah.

“(It is) because we desert the Quran that we are lost," he said.

Mahathir, however, argued that a person cannot get guidance from something that he or she does not understand.

“I'm told that translations are not the Quran. I agree, some translations may be deeper.

“But the Quran doesn't change. If you read something that you don't understand, you can't be well-guided,” he said.

He gave an example where he is lost and the person guiding him with the directions answers in the Eskimo language.

“This won't guide me. But if he explains in the Eskimo language and provides translation, then I will get some guidance,” he said.

Mahathir further argued that in many cases of reading translation, “you can’t go wrong”.

“In Arabic the verse says ‘you can’t kill’, you can't have it in Malay stating ‘you may kill’.

“The meaning may not be exact but near-perfect,” he said.

Meanwhile, when asked later whether he advocated schools to teach the Quran in Malay, Mahathir pointed out how the religion is taught in Malay.

“But it's not always from the Quran. They teach from their understanding and the books that they read.

“Sometimes they are guided by some interpretation by ulama (scholars) and imam.

“But I think if you return to the Quran and if you teach Quran in a language that you understand, only then you may be guided,” he said. -Mkini